Yadong Huang, MD, PhD

Research and Clinical Interests

Research in my laboratory focuses on unraveling the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and identifying strategies for their treatment or prevention. Potential pathogenic factors are assessed in primary and stem cell-derived neural cultures in vitro and in genetically engineered mice in vivo. We are especially interested in apolipoprotein (apo) E4, the major known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer‛s disease (AD).

Studies from my laboratory have demonstrated that neuronal apoE is subject to cleavage, generating neurotoxic fragments. ApoE4 is more susceptible to cleavage than apoE3. When expressed in cultured neuronal cells the truncated apoE4 is neurotoxic, leading to cell death. Furthermore, expression of the truncated apoE4 causes AD-like neurodegeneration and behavioral deficits in transgenic mice.